Meet Sherry McClurkin | Emotional Balance Expert & Instructor, and Former Trauma Therapist of over 10 years

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sherry McClurkin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sherry, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’ve been a Trauma Therapist for over 10 years, and it was only about 5 years ago that I was introduced to brain-science based interventions. Finally learning how our brain processes emotions and the simple interventions available to make significant changes in that emotional processing were Eureka moments for me. This information deepened my understanding of traumatic impacts, explained what I see in clients and why they react in certain ways, and so much more. My reaction included shock that brain-science is not part of our basic training as therapists; even more, this brain science is basically Human Being 101, so why isn’t this taught in every elementary school? We’re taught how to take care of our teeth, hair, skin, but not the basics of our own brain and emotional well-being. I decided last year I am going to teach as many people as possible how to better understand their emotional brain, why they react in certain ways, and how to change. While I use brain-science interventions and techniques successfully with my trauma clients, I can reach far more people in more of a coaching and instructional arena. And so was ignited my drive for my new business, Rebellious Emotional Balance.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I started life with high levels of anxiety and insecurity. I failed out of college in my early 20s. I stayed in an unhealthy relationship for 27 years. I’ve had to start over. And I returned to college in my late 40s, completed the path to Trauma Therapist, invested in my own therapy, and devoted myself to 100s of hours of intense post-Master’s degree education including neuroscience-backed trainings. Through this journey, my anxiety and insecurity subsided and in its place grew confidence, calm, and empowerment.

Neuroscience-backed trainings are not typical for professionals in the mental health field, yet I found them transformative as a therapist and as a person. It bothered me that I have access to this knowledge simply because I’m a licensed professional; it’s beneficial to everyone. I call it “Human Being 101”. So I determined to find a way to share the information with everyone possible.

One of my gifts is taking complex information and breaking it down into understandable and manageable pieces; I did that in my long ago 10+ years as a software developer and designer; and I did it in my more recent 10+ years as a Trauma Therapist, business owner, and employer. In mid-2022, I started developing webinars to simplify and deliver what the neuroscience-based trainings showed me packaged with my extensive knowledge gained as a Trauma Therapist and an older, wiser version of me. I called the packaging “Emotional Balance”. I also began marketing those webinars to get this knowledge as far and wide as possible. I can’t do that as a therapist, though, because of licensing restrictions and regulations that vary by State. So I started the move to Coaching and Instructor. Also, I found out I knew almost nothing about marketing, sales, and all the terminology and apps that go along with those. As a therapist in Maryland within the DC-metro area, only minor marketing was necessary, not much else. I found out the hard way that marketing, sales, promotions, and more are absolutely essential for a product such as webinars.

As an entrepreneur and business owner, I have more ideas on ways to reach people to improve lives. I truly want to help others skip the painful life boulders I encountered on my journey to calm, confident, and empowered and shorten their journey. I’m great at the webinars themselves; the marketing needed to get an audience is not natural to me. Gratefully, I love to learn, and I am open to guidance.

My webinars cover that the secret to Lasting, Real Change is to start with Simple, Proven, Brain-Science based methods that teach Calm, Confidence, Focus, & Empowered to the emotional part of the brain. They go further to also look at the thought patterns and self-limiting beliefs that block true calm, confidence, and empowerment. And it’s important to examine our daily routines to test where they also block true calm, confidence, and empowerment. I use these same methods and approaches with the clients as a Trauma Therapist, and my clients have big breakthroughs.

While doing the webinars means I’m no longer a Trauma Therapist, it’s worth moving into the coaching and instructor realm to reach more people. I bring the full package of Trauma Therapist experience and training, neuroscience knowledge, ability to break complexities into simpler pieces, and a desire for the success of my customers. The latter means I focus on all aspects, from what their brain is doing emotionally and with thoughts and beliefs through to their daily habits.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Tucson is a marvelous destination. We have Saguaro National Park, we are a gastronomy hub recognized world-wide, there are extensive bicycling and hiking paths, and the weather can’t be beat. I’ve only lived in Tucson for 2 years myself, so I’m still learning all the great places. I have 2 dogs, so places that allow dogs are especially my favorites. I love the gardens, such as Tohono Chul and Tucson Botanical Gardens; the latter allows dogs during the summer heat. Depending on the weather (i.e., level of heat), Saguaro National Park is great for walks, hikes, and driving through. There are several paths in Saguaro National Park that allow dogs. The local parks are wonderful and all allow dogs. There’s actually a lake in Tucson with a lovely path and beautiful park surrounding it; in this park, you feel surrounded by the mountains because the view is so wonderful. There’s another local park that is slightly elevated and also has amazing views. There’s Mount Lemmon, available all-year round, and has a temperature cooler than Tucson’s. So Mount Lemmon is great to visit during the high heat of summer, and winter fully shows up there. If you like snow and cold, it’s there. I prefer to look at the snow on top of Mount Lemmon from the warmer location of my home. Food is amazing here. I love breakfast food. Bisbee Breakfast Club is one of my favorites. I love Mexican and Sonoran influenced foods, which are a staple here since we’re in the southwest. There are too many incredible restaurants to name. Many restaurants allow dogs, especially on their patios. Since we have great weather, patios are open almost all year. I love coffee shops, and those are also plentiful here. The one things I miss that is more prevalent in the east is ice cream shops; there are great ice cream shops here. There simply aren’t as many.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Barbara Jones (known as BJ) was my other-mother and prayer warrior for many years; she recently passed away. BJ saw me through many of my life’s hardships and helped ensure I followed God’s calling on my life. Katie Carson introduced me several years ago to the marvelous therapeutic method of Brainspotting; this revolutionized my interventions as a counselor and started me on this journey of learning more about the brain mechanisms of emotions and the influence we can have on them.
My brother and sister-in-law, Troy and Christy Anderson, are part of why I moved from Maryland to Tucson, AZ; they’ve lived in AZ for several years. Living in AZ led me to the Arizona Trauma Institute and taking continuing education courses through them which aligned with my interest in the brain’s processing of emotions so expanded my knowledge. And it’s through the Arizona Trauma Institute that I am a Certified Trauma Specialist.
The National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs (NACWE) changed my life. Two years ago, I saw a Facebook ad for their in-person gathering of the Tucson, AZ, chapter, went and joined almost immediately. NACWE’s prayers, business coaching and trainings, and strong leadership was and still is a major factor in who I am today and in growing me as a businesswoman and entrepreneur.

Website: www.RebelBalance.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherry-mcclurkin-brain-tamer/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebelliousEmotionalBalance

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@RebelliousEmotionalBalance